If you want fuller lips, you are not alone. Women (and men) are rushing in droves to the nearest clinic for shots, lip lifts, implants, and other augmentations that will make their lips more sensuous. Lip augmentation was the most popular cosmetic procedure for women in 2005, according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, but before you rush out to mimic your favorite famous actress, consider whether you want to experiment with the fuller lip look for a few hours, or a few months. If you are thinking about a more permanent “perfect pout” like surgical lip implants, you should be informed about the risks, and whether they outweigh the benefits. Read on for more details on recent procedures and techniques to decide if achieving fuller lips is for you.

Surgical ProceduresThe most permanent methods available for lip augmentation are also the most extreme, involving incisions, stitches and a few weeks of looking like a duck. As with any surgery, complications are possible, but plastic surgery comes with its own inflated set of complication woes. Surgical lip augmentations may not be as serious as surgery around the eyes, but if you go into surgery expecting to come out pretty, any less than perfect result can be devastating. Lumps, uneven symmetry, and discoloration are just a few of the disappointing possibilities. Infection, nerve damage and hardening of the implants necessitating removal are more serious complications.

* ImplantsThese can be permanent or semi-permanent. A popular synthetic implant is one in which a tiny tube is placed in the lips and then filled with saline. The outer material of the tube is called Gore-Tex, like the lining of your ski jacket.

With a local anesthetic the patient feels no discomfort as the surgeon makes a tiny incision on one side of the red part of the lip, and threads the tube through the entire upper or lower lip. Recovery takes about a week, and you can expect pain and swelling during that time. The effect is not always as subtle as an injection; sometimes the tube’s structure, although it is soft, can be detected and felt.

* Lip Suspension The idea, says Dr. Esser Yuksel, is to fight gravity. The assistant professor of microsurgery and aesthetic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine says volume is not enough. He uses a technique that involves going through the nose to insert sutures in order to lift the upper lip. In combination with implants or fillers, the lip suspension is designed to help women with a naturally thin upper lip, or whose upper lip has shrunk due to aging. Although the procedure is short and can be done with a local anesthetic, recovery takes about two to four weeks.

* Injectable Implants These permanent or semi-permanent procedures are either synthetic, like silicone, or human-derived fats.

Silicone is controversial, and the risks outweigh the benefits, according to a 2003 report by the National Research Center for Women and Families. Some people prefer to have fat grafted from their tummies or thighs and surgically implanted. Autologen is collagen taken from your own skin, then injected into the lips. The procedure is done in two appointments. It lasts only two to three months, but you will not have any adverse reactions to your own body tissue.

Injections/FillersThese methods range from temporary to semi-permanent, are much less risky than a surgical procedure and the recovery period is dramatically shortened. A doctor injects the filler with a syringe along the edge of the lip to be enlarged. After a few hours you can resume life as normal, or rather, as a new creature with larger lips. However, the possibility of an allergic reaction is probable with some substances. The FDA has only approved some of these substances within the last few months; some are so new that long-term effects are still unknown.

* Collagen was once the only choice, but now it has been pushed aside for other longer-lasting substances. The collagen dermatologists use for facial procedures comes from cow’s fat. The material is refined, but its animal source is a bit of a turn-off for some people. It can also cause an allergic reaction. Its undesirable qualities were once overlooked for the plump lips it offered, until something better came along.

* Dermologen is collagen harvested from human donor cadavers. The idea of wearing a dead person’s fat in your lips may be slightly morbid, but the human collagen is less problematic than the bovine version.

* Hyaluronic acid: Restylane is one non-animal product brand that has taken the lip augmentation fad to new levels of frenzy. Hyaluronic acid is found in human joints, and does not appear to cause allergic reactions. It lasts about six months.

At Home TreatmentsA visit to the plastic surgeon for fuller lips can cost several thousand dollars for Gore-Tex implants, and about $500 for temporary fillers like Restylane. Although that cost might seem a bargain to some, it simply is not feasible for many women’s budgets. If you must have fuller lips, consider these ideas.

* Lip PumpThis suction device can make your lips look fuller for a few hours at a time. This is a safer option, but take care not to pump so hard that it hurts. This can bruise your lips, spoiling any ideals you may have about subtlety.

* Topical Creams and Lipsticks These are supposed to enlarge the lips by stimulating circulation. Changes in lip size range from subtle to unnoticeable. Advertisements claim they are completely safe and non-toxic. Considering that anything you put on your lips will eventually end up in your digestive system, consult your doctor before using any of these types of products.

* Makeup Tricks This is the safest method by far. With lipstick, lip liner and a skilled hand, you can use color shading to give your lips the illusion of fullness. Maybe not Angelina Jolie fullness, but only a handful of women really want lips of that size.

When you decide to try a medical procedure for lip enhancement, one of two things could happen.

For one, you may hate the look, wishing you had just left well enough alone, or two, you may love your youthful lips and join the ranks of frequent plastic surgery patients maintaining their new look while scanning your body for other enhancements you can make.

If you feel you must try the more extreme surgical procedures to get fuller lips, protect yourself as much as possible by finding a highly recommended surgeon, and ask to see before and after photos of his work. You think thin lips are unbearable? Imagine walking around with a botched lip job. If you are wavering in your decision about fuller lips, wait a while. In all likelihood, prices for procedures will go down, or big lips will go out of fashion. And in the meantime, you may receive a revelation – that your husband thinks you are sexy, that your daughter is taking cues from you, or that your body is uniquely you, and is therefore beautiful as it is. Can fuller lips really compare with contentment?

Are You a Makeup Maven or a Makeup Mishap?Most women experiment with makeup beginning in their adolescence, which means they should have plenty of time to figure out which products and techniques work best for their face. However, some women never learn, and perhaps you are one of these makeup offenders. Find out now if the foundation of your makeup knowledge is well-blended, or caking under layers of bad makeup habits.